Editorial Advisory Board Bios

Curtis Handford, MD, CCFP, MHSc
Toronto, ON (Chair/Président)

Curtis Handford, MD, CCFP MHSc graduated from the University of Manitoba in 2001. He is a family physician who works at St Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Ontario. He also works clinically in addiction medicine at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). He is the Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto with cross-appointment to the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. He functions as Program Director for the Academic Fellowship, MScCH, and MPH (FCM) graduate degrees. He has been educating health professionals at all levels about family medicine and addiction medicine for several years. He is very interested in teaching core generalist knowledge, skills and attitudes to family medicine residents and graduate learners. He is the principal author of CAMH’s 2011 clinical practice guidelines for the use of Buprenorphine and Naloxone for opioid dependence.

Mike has been in practice for approximately 16 years and currently works at the Northeast Community Health Centre in Edmonton. He has given more than 200 presentations and published more than 90 articles. He is a Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta and the Director of the Alberta College of Family Physician’s (ACFP’s) Evidence and Continuing Professional Development Program. Mike also participates in a weekly medical podcast, roadshows, and academic detailing visits, and writes Tools for Practice for the ACFP and Canadian Family Physician. Mike is happily married and has two teenage daughters.

Dr. Vanessa Brcic is a Vancouver-based family physician, UBC Clinical Assistant Professor, community-based researcher, and graduate of the UBC Clinician Scholar Program. She is active in the community, currently as the co-Founder and current co-Chair of Basics for Health Society, and as a Research Associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (BC office). She has a special interest in safe, compassionate and equitable health care, and the social determinants of health. Clinically, her work is focused on the interdisciplinary care of vulnerable patients and those with complex chronic conditions; she brings to this work insights from her own experience as a patient, as well as additional certification in relational somatic therapy for trauma, and GunnIMS for chronic pain. She also has a growing interest in contributing to the growth of culturally safe care for Indigenous peoples.

Breanna Davis graduated from the University of Saskatchewan and completed residency in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Dr Davis continued her involvement with the residency program initially as Community Faculty, then became the Residency Training Coordinator and is currently the Resident Research Coordinator. Dr Davis has a full service practice in the communities of Prince Albert and Sturgeon Lake First Nation. Outside of her academic and clinical responsibilities she enjoys spending time with her young family.

Jennifer LeMessurier is a resident training in the Public Health and Preventive Medicine and Family Medicine programs at the University of Ottawa. Originally from Newfoundland, she graduated from medical school at Memorial University, where she also completed her Master of Public Health degree. Her academic interests include teaching undergraduate medical students and public health research. She is always homesick for the ocean, but currently enjoys her view of the Rideau Canal.

Dr. Patriquin graduated from McMaster University in 1996 and went on to complete a Women's Health Fellowship at Women's College Hospital where she subsequently went on staff. Dr Patriquin returned to her native Halifax and in 2012 established Living Well Integrative Health Center which has been recognized by the CFPC as a Patient Medical Home success story. Dr Patriquin has subspecialty training in mindfulness and CBT from U Mass Med School and in 2016 received the CFPC 60/20 PMH Care and Compassion Grant. She is a founding member of the Association for Positive Psychiatry of Canada. She is the Atlantic Canada Representative on the Mental Health Committee of the CFPC. She is an assistant professor At Dalhousie University Department of Family Medicine.